


The Serendipitous Type

by PaladinGabe



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Antique Shop (Kinda), Anxiety, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Historic Smithville (Setting), M/M, Meet-Cute, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Hunk (Voltron), Past Relationship(s), Pining, Pining Hunk (Voltron), Weird NJ Lore, jersey devil
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-14
Updated: 2017-08-10
Packaged: 2018-12-01 22:24:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11495961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaladinGabe/pseuds/PaladinGabe
Summary: Hunk goes down to Smithville to get away from life for a couple hours. While there, he finds himself coming back weekly to see the charming man that greets everyone with a sweet smile that he wishes he could see when he wakes up every morning.





	1. I.

**Author's Note:**

> This was entirely based off of an actual meet-cute experience I had with a cashier at an antique shop in Smithville. And although I've obviously made changes for the purpose of this story, a HUGE CHUNK of this first chapter is from that actual event in my life.  
> Note: I did not get his number.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this new multi-chap that is entirely a self-indulgent story for Hance set in my favorite place in my home state!  
> To learn more about Smithville to get a feel for the setting, I have a [link](http://www.historicsmithvillenj.com/) for you! And [here](http://www.historicsmithvillenj.com/images/contacts/countryfolk.JPG) is the place where Lance works.

_Smithville. It’s a historic town around_ here. There’s so much baggage surrounding its history, as well. The lore gives it a mysterious appeal. More specifically, it’s said to be the birthplace of the infamous Jersey Devil. Now, the historic village itself is a tourist attraction full of shops, but it’s still exciting to stop by.

It’s also one of Hunk’s favorite places in this armpit of a state. He often likes to escape from life by driving up and down US Route 9, and the town is about an hour away from where he lives further north. It’s such a nice trip, and even if someone were to go down there for only a couple hours, they would still be thoroughly entertained and come home feeling like valuable time was well spent.

Hunk has only gone here once before, but despite the bad experience he had, he looks at the memories of being in the village rather fondly. Today is his day off from the shop, so he decides that it is the perfect day to get away from things and visit the historic village for the second time in his life.

The last time he went, he’d gone with his cousins. They’d wanted to see the cabin where the Jersey Devil was born, and it was down a sketchy road called Leeds Point. Hunk genuinely was curious about going down there at first, since he was fascinated by Weird NJ icons—especially the Jersey Devil.

But when they all went down there, Hunk immediately felt weirded out. There was a huge property where it was said that a scary old woman chased away people that would try to visit this house. There were signs everywhere, too, warning everyone to get off the property and not to trespass. It was a recipe for disaster, and he felt too uncomfortable to stay.

The cousins ended up not being able to find anything, so they disgruntledly drove away from the dirt road and traveled back to the village. Hunk had wanted to see the shops, hearing about them from some articles on the internet. But they weren’t even able to look around. Well, _Hunk_ wasn’t able to look around. He couldn’t stay in each store long enough to even soak the atmosphere within. His cousins constantly got bored and forced him to leave from shop to shop without barely looking at one thing!

However, this time is automatically much better! He can enjoy himself without others pressuring him to either go in shops he didn’t want to check out or end up being forced to bypass stores he'd wanted to visit. It’s so nice to go around freely.

He had to park across the street. The parking lots surrounding the village got filled up fairly quickly. But it’s okay. He doesn’t mind the little walk he has to take across the street.

He never noticed the last time he was here that music played through the many speakers on top of the restaurants, shops, and the gazebo on the other side of the bridge. It has an old, country feel to it, without the obnoxious singing. It’s hypnotizing, and it helps him get fully submerged in the historic atmosphere. His nerves ease while he looks around the different shops surrounding him.

There are so many different paths to different stores he’d never gotten the chance to explore the last time he was here. Despite the seemingly busy maze, it’s almost impossible for him to get lost out here. Everything is too familiar for that to happen.

Another thing that is amusing to him is seeing the different wildlife just casually walking around the village. Waterfowl, mostly. And roosters often strut from the coop and down the sidewalks towards an Irish novelty shop. Huge gaggles of both Domestic and Canadian geese surround the body of water and the shores. It was amusing hearing these sounds meshed up together.

He finally decides to buy something at a candle shop hiding next to the huge Christmas store. It’s an autumn-scented one, since he grows nostalgic over his favorite season when he’s engulfed in the humidity and inconsistency of an East Coast summer. He’d often wondered what it would be like to live in a place where there was dry heat, but he’s starting to quickly take that back. He’d rather it be eighty but feeling like ninety than have constant hundred degree heat all the time.

There’s an underground punk store in another section of the village, where the mini railroad is located. He’s been in here the first time he visited, and he genuinely likes the store. He also needs a newer version of his favorite shirt that got all shrunken and gross from wearing it and cleaning it too many times.

What he assumes to be the manager is working here, and he also has another employee with him sitting near the checkout area.

“Welcome,” the younger man calls as Hunk embraces the air conditioning that greets him.

“Hi. I’m glad to be here,” he confesses and waves.

“Great,” he hums. “My name is Keith. If you need any help, just gimme a holler, okay?”

“No problem,” he assures him while looking.

He’s trying to find an exact replica. A Double XL replica. A lot of the shirts on display are smalls, though. But that’s not going to make him give up so easily.

“Hey, Keith?” He’s next to a display of sweaters, knowing he’s lost.

“What do you need help with, sir?” Keith’s walking over.

“Please, call me Hunk,” he stammers. He’s not a formal type of guy. “I’d gotten a shirt the last time I was here... two years ago. I was hoping that you could help me find it?”

“Two years ago...” he ponders. “We often change designs and layouts throughout the different seasons. We might not have what you’re looking for anymore, but it’s worth a shot, right?”

He nods happily. “Yes. Thank you. It’s got the Jersey Devil on it. It kinda looks like a design for a family crest.”

“That one’s popular. I’m sure we still have that in stock.” Keith moves through the racks. “Size?”

“Double XL.”

Hunk is glad that he knows exactly what he’s looking for. Keith fishes through the different displays in another section of the store. Now he’s really hoping that he finds the shirt. He’d feel bad if they can’t find it and he’s just wasted the guy’s time.

“A-hah! Found it.” He pulls out the shirt he’s been looking for. “Here, Hunk.”

“Oh, thank you.” He grins and graciously takes the shirt from him. “I’m ready now. This is all I needed for now.”

“That so? Great!” Keith takes him to the counter. “Twenty dollars, okay?”

“Yup.” He pays for his shirt. “This one is my favorite, you have no idea how happy I am that I’m able to get another one.”

The manager beams. “I’m glad that you were able to find what you were looking for.”

“Yes, me too! I was devastated that my old one was getting ruined.”

They share a laugh together before Hunk leaves. He doesn’t mind just going through the stores and walking around repeatedly. The paths are so nice, and he barely notices when he is going in circles. Just absorbing the atmosphere is enough for him. Coming here was such a great idea! He’s now so relaxed and calm.

He’s making his way towards the bridge again. At this point, this is probably the fifth time, and he’s pretty sure that he’d memorized where every single store was. But oddly enough, right next to a giant gaggle of Domestic geese, there’s a store that he’s surprised he never noticed before.

There’s a display of different novelty signs in front of it, and he can’t help but laugh that this village is along US 9 but there is a sign for US 66 in the front of the shop. Isn’t Route 9 enough for them? Guess it’s not as iconic of a road.

He moves closer and sees the different outdoor selections. Most of them are accents for gardens and front lawns, but it draws him in. There’s a lot of scarecrow and autumn items, too. He’s hooked! He looks up to read the name of the store that is conveniently shown on the roof: **Country Folk & Antique Row - Antiques | Crafts | Treasures.**

Oh yeah. He’s definitely hooked, now.

A couple goes in first, and Hunk casually follows behind them. And standing there behind the counter is a lean, energetic looking man that he locks eyes with. He has this charming smile and happy demeanor, and it’s so welcoming!

“How’s it going, guys?” he beams, talking to the couple in front of him.

“Oh, we’re doing well, young man,” the woman responds and Hunk stays by the doorway. “And how are you?”

“Just chillin’ like I’m Bob Dylan!”

Hunk immediately turns red while fighting back a chuckle. He’s perfect!

The older couple laughs, but he’s too focused on the sweet grin that the man is giving the customers coming to his shop. Hunk waves at him shyly and moves through the small area to look at the displays.

All the antiques in this store’s selection are unique. There are a lot of cute plush toys and pillows, old trinkets, and sentimental wooden signs. He also really likes the accents that are all over the little shop, even though they’re a little too pricey for him. Hunk doesn’t see anything wrong with looking around, though.

He hears someone else coming in while he’s backed up into one of the dark corners seeing a heck ton of barnyard accents. Cows, more specifically. There’s some small talk that he hears, and the charming as hell cashier assures the new customer, “Hanging in there. Taking the heat like a poor, unsuspecting ice cube, though.”

Hunk sputters and looks out the window. The Domestic goose gaggle is waddling passed the building, and the noises of all of them honking at different points in time makes him shiver. The setting automatically changes from aesthetically pleasing to an excerpt from a demonic incantation. He tries not to whimper too loud, especially when the noises start to decrescendo off in the distance. He feels eyes on him, from a very specific source, and he tries to straighten himself up to seem a little surer of himself.

“D-don’t… noises like that scare you sometimes?”

He shrugs. “They used to. But I’ve adjusted. I often imagined why the noises are happening beyond these walls. My favorite is imagining that the aliens are coming, and then it turns out that it’s just the rooster.”

“Or a gaggle of geese,” he laughs shyly. He sees a couple of people come and go, and he decides to continue looking around.

“It’s too damn hot,” he hears a customer grumble. “I hate this weather.”

“Me too,” the charming cashier sighs. Meanwhile, Hunk starts looking at the accents and wooden blocks with sayings about family and sentimental stuff. “I can’t wait until autumn.”

A spark.

Hunk feels it fade as soon as its initial impact, but there was a spark! It’s unmistakable. And it’s so strange. They aren’t the only two people in the world that love autumn. Why is this dream boy any different? Hunk isn’t sure why, but he feels the sudden need to engage. It’s like he _has_ to.

“I _love_ autumn!” he beams before he can find any reason to restrain himself. He translates his sudden need to an idea that maybe he needs to combat the smoothness the cashier was spewing. Like a flirting match. That’s just a guess, though.

“Right? It’s perfect,” he says with a smile. “It’s not too hot.”

“Yeah, it’s my favorite type of weather,” he insists and moves closer to the counter to try and break a bit more of the distance between them.

He still has this tender smile on his face that he just _adores._ “Maybe some days it’s a little chilly, but it’s great for sweaters.” Hunk is about to go right ahead and agree, but he then continues. “And it gives you an excuse when you wake up in the morning to crawl right back into bed with that special someone.”

This man is smooth as hell!

Hunk sputters, immediately being touched by the comment. What does he say? He only has a tick to think of a response, and he immediately feels the embarrassment set in.

“Yes!”

That’s it? _Yes?_ That is _all_ he can say? He is beyond hopeless! How can he even bounce himself back from that?

He chooses not to. He shyly continues to look around the shop. Now he _has_ to buy something. Whether it’s to break the tension or to have a chance to talk to him again, Hunk doesn’t know for sure. But he does have to buy something.

He thinks small. Maybe just a little wooden box with those sentimental sayings on them. He ponders and finally decides to pick one. He grabs it and reads the words:

**Always Believe That Something Wonderful Is About To Happen**

He isn’t exactly the best when it comes to starting conversations or making small talk, but he is brave enough to make an attempt. He turns his head to look towards the counter.

“Hey, I think I found something!” he grins, a hint of playfulness in his tone. At least, that’s what he hopes that he is trying to get across.

“Oh yeah?” The cashier beams. “Great, bring it over.”

“Just this,” Hunk insists and sets the block down. He watches the man take the time to read what it says.

He hums. “I like this one. Are you a serendipitous type of guy?”

“I guess I’d like to think so,” he admits while giving him a shy smile. “I believe in fate and things like that.”

“Yeah?” He writes down his purchase while they’re talking. He keeps this delighted smile on his face the entire time. “Me too.” He puts his pen down and sets the block inside a small bag. “It’s $8.55.”

He pays and watches him ring it up. When he is focused on a task, the cashier has his eyebrows furrowed together. Then he gives Hunk his change and the bag, and he hollowly realizes that this is where their encounter must end.

“You’re all set, sir,” he grins. “Thanks for stopping by.”

“You’re welcome,” Hunk nods and steps back. He keeps a wistful smile, still charmed by the sudden encounter. “You have a great day!”

“You too!”

Hunk lingers before starting slowly stroll around again. His day has officially been made. He can’t even begin to fathom the level of excitement he’s feeling right now. This blissful aura follows him to his truck across the street, and he thinks about the man more and more…

Wait.

He’s already driving home when he has the worst realization ever.

“Damn it.”

He doesn’t even know his name!

He didn’t get his number!

_Fuck._


	2. II.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunk decides to go down to Smithville again, after Pidge insists repeatedly that he should give fate a chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always get so happy with feedback on my works! I'd been so apprehensive over posting in a new fandom, but I now feel really confident! Thank you so much!
> 
> Someone last update asked about the shirt Hunk bought. And it's an actual shirt that I have that you can see [here.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DEtSf7eWsAEVd0-.jpg:large)

_“What do you mean you ‘didn’t_ get his number,’ Hunk?!”

He’s starting to immediately regret talking to someone about his feelings for this cashier. He blushes and shifts back underneath the car he’s working on. He just told Pidge, who visits all the time while their brother’s working in the shop.

“That’s exactly what I said. I didn’t get his number. And I don’t even know the guy’s name.”

“What?!” They scoff. “Outrageous! We have to go down there, you and me! I’ll get his name for you!”

“O-oh no, we don’t have to,” Hunk sighs, just focusing on his task. “If I didn’t think to get his name when we first met, maybe it’s not meant to be.”

Pidge groans aloud. “Hey, Matt!”

“Pidge!” Hunk moves his head up and collides with the lifted car. He winces while moving out from underneath it. “No, don’t tell Matt!”

“Fine. IVERSON!”

“Jesus, Pidge!” He urgently tries to hide while both Matt and their boss step out to see what’s going on.

“Is it life or death?” Iverson deadpans while they stand in the middle of the shop.

“Hunk met this cute guy at one of the antique shops in Smithville, and he didn’t get his name or number!” Pidge grabs onto Matt’s shirt. “Hunk is a lost cause!”

“I am not!” he shouts, equally flustered and embarrassed. He wipes the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve and cleans the grease off his hands. “I’m totally fine!”

“Hunk, you should go down there again,” Matt insists. “Something tells me that this guy might be a keeper!”

“Just do anything that will keep you coming to work,” Iverson mutters and looks over the pages that are in his hands. “Is that all you guys wanted to share?”

“C’mon, Iverson!” Pidge grins and raises their eyebrows. “Don’t you have some better words of encouragement than that?”

“You’ll keep getting paid if you stick to your schedule despite your new… thing.” He clears his throat. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

Hunk frowns at the two siblings after the boss leaves. “You guys are so embarrassing.”

“Aww, you like it!” Pidge teases. “Hey Matt, can I go with him?”

“Wha—?” Hunk looks down. “You mean… you still think I should go?”

“Uh, yeah?” they laugh. “And I wanna come down this time. Maybe I can help.”

Matt shrugs. “I’m sure Mom won’t mind. It’s up to Hunk, then.”

“Look, I don’t even know if I wanna go down.”

“ _Please?_ ” Pidge begs. “It’s so boring at home in the summertime, I wanna do something! I-I’ll even just stay on the wayside, if that’s what you want. I wanna see where this goes! And if something goes wrong, you won’t be alone. That you can look forward to.” They look up at him with these pleading eyes. They really want to go!

He’s more or less bashful about the whole idea. He has been looking at this situation as nothing more than a little crush he had over someone working at a store. But at the same time, there had to be something more. Right? There was only one way to find out.

He sighs exasperatedly. He can’t say no to that face.

“Okay. We’ll go down next Sunday, on my day off.”

“YES!” Pidge cheers and looks at Matt. “Okay, so, Matt, can I borrow twenty dollars?”

“Those pleading eyes are not going to work on me,” their brother teases while ruffling their hair.

Honestly, Hunk starts to get a little excited. He’s just hoping that he will be able to see that mysteriously charming guy again. Tomorrow he is going to be a man on a mission.

Correction: He is going to be a very bashful, modest man on a fateful mission.

\--

 _Hunk is surprised at how quickly_ it took him and Pidge to get down here this time around. He parked in his usual spot in the dirt lot before going across the street with them.

“There it is,” he sighs as he gestures towards the building. “I can’t believe I never realized that this place was right here before. It’s in plain sight.”

“Let’s go in and talk to him now!” they insist and take hold of his arm to try and drag him.

“Wait, slow down,” he gasps, not even ready for that yet! “I gotta prep myself first. How about we go to a couple stores first? Just so you can look around.”

“Fine,” they grumble as they take a long walk. “I can’t believe Matt didn’t give me twenty dollars.”

“He said you had to ask your mom about it.”

“I did, and she said no.” They shrug while the two of them walk together. “This place is wholesome. Very country-like.”

“Isn’t it great?” Hunk teases. “I love this place so much.”

They go into a lot of stores today, just browsing. There are plenty of them that Hunk had never been in before, so it’s interesting just to see all the different things people sell in the village. He comes to the conclusion that coming down here with a friend is the best idea.

“Can we go to the antique dream boy now?” Pidge asks after a while.

“I thought you were enjoying the scenery.” He’s stalling.

“I was, but we’re on a mission!” they tease. “C’mon, let’s go check it out.”

Hunk gulps and starts to go across the bridge with them. He has to go and see him. There’s this urge that’s wrapped around him like a lasso, tugging him closer and closer to where he knows he needs to be. He can’t leave here until he sees him again, despite the tinge of nerves and anxiety that is nagging at his entire being.

“Uh… Hunk?”

They both look at the closed door to the shop. There’s this little piece of cardboard in between the iron design on the door. **“Be Right Back”** was written on it in black marker.

This is so cute and corny.

“He sounds quirky,” Pidge hums and looks at him. “What do we do now?”

He sighs. “Well, we can keep looking around until he comes back. But I dunno when he will. I’ve never thought about this being an obstacle.”

“Let’s just move around nearby,” Pidge insists with a shrug. “I’m sure he’ll be back soon.”

They develop a pattern that they go through three times. They go to a store. They look around for a little bit. They walk back to the antique shop. They see that corny, little **“Be Right Back”** sign in front of the closed door. They groan, and then they repeat.

As they start to go through the fourth cycle, Hunk feels like he’s going to go insane. He’s glad that Pidge is having a good time, curiously looking at all the different finds that are in the stores. They’re not really a fan of walking around and having to be out in the heat and humidity, but once they’re inside looking at all the items, they enjoy the simplicity of it all.

They finish looking at this beach-themed gift shop called “Shell We?” and now they are about to find out the moment of truth.

“What if he’s not even working again? I dunno what I’d do.”

“Hey, don’t give up,” Pidge insists. “He’s probably in there this time!”

Hunk is tentative when they come across the outside of the shop. Pidge is the one that moves up to it, and they beckon for him to come closer. He lets out a sigh of relief.

The sign is gone, and someone is inside!

There are _tons_ of people all in here, crowding around this shop and leaving very little wiggle room. They haven’t even gone inside yet, and he’s already embarrassed!

“C’mon,” Pidge chides and leads the way in.

“If he’s in here, I’ll die,” he stammers quietly and looks inside while stepping in.

Sure enough, it’s the same charming man from the last time he was here. And he looks even more welcoming than he remembers! He has this pleasant grin when everyone walks in, and it immediately soothes him.

He doesn’t even know his name yet, but he already feels at ease around him.

He hears music playing this time around—more specifically, 80s and 90s rock music. He finds himself even more in his comfort zone, knowing that the two of them—even though they were strangers—have a lot in common.

“How’s it going, guys?” He grins at them happily.

“We’re good.” Hunk takes Pidge to one corner, where the two of them are pretty much pinned up with nowhere really to go. He looks at them with these desperate, wide eyes before muttering through his teeth, “That’s him!”

Pidge cranes their neck to see him better and smiles. “You sure know how to pick ‘em.”

“Keep quiet!” he whines nervously and looks around. “L-let’s just… uh, look at some of these antiques.”

“Okay, sure,” they shrug and walk through the clusters of people together.

There weren’t nearly as many people here last time, and that makes him nervous. It’s not an ideal setup when trying to flirt with the cashier and ask for his number.

“Ooo, a sale on old books?!”

Hunk sees Pidge’s face light up when looking at the two worn books on a shelf. He smiles when they take one of them down.

“It’s an encyclopedia book!” They flip through the page. “This _has_ to be from the 1800’s.”

He watches them and looks at the binding. It smells so great, and the pages look weathered down and yellowed. “Hey look, this volume is for between ‘Fah-’ and ‘-Hor.’”

He sees an older woman look taken aback when staring at them. It makes him go red, but come on! It can’t seem _that_ literal!

“And by ‘Hor,” I of course mean ‘H-O-R,’ Hor, not the bad one?” This just makes him even more annoyed and flustered at the same time, but she does look away from them. He rolls his eyes. “I sure hope these weren’t the only two books, and that’s why they’re on sale.”

“I like to think that these two are the last ones out of a bunch of them. But, who knows?”

They are able to squeeze through to the front of the counter, where he locks eyes with the cashier for a second. Of course, Hunk diverts his eyes almost instantly. His direction then goes to a bunch of old bottle openers in a box.

“Look at this one,” Pidge grins and picks up a pink bottle opener that looks like a woman. “I’d get this.”

Hunk sputters. “Yeah. That’d be a good ice breaker.”

The man behind the counter takes this opportunity to tease him by saying, “Actually, that’s a bottle opener.”

He looks up and purses his lips. “Yes. I suppose it is.”

The guy’s still laughing after they set it down and look on the other side of the shop.

When they’re backed into the other corner, Pidge points out a 1950’s Coke bank with the face that can only be described as a horrifying hybrid of every Norman Rockwell painting ever and Alfred E. Neuman. That decade’s version of advertiser-friendly charm was the stuff of nightmares!

“Oh, great! Nightmare fuel,” Hunk gasps.

“Let’s get it,” they tease.

“Not for forty-five dollars!”

They go to pick it up, but when a piece of it is already coming up before the other, they precariously set it back. “I don’t wanna risk it if they have a ‘You break it, you buy it’ policy here,” they wince.

“Good idea.” He grins and looks away from the hellish bank. In the meantime, he occasionally stares in the general direction of the cashier and can’t help but admire how gentle those blue eyes of his look from a distance. He can’t be human.

_“Just chillin’ like I’m Dylan!”_

Pidge snorts when they both hear him greet a new customer. “That was corny.”

“I know,” Hunk laughs, looking at an antique hope chest.

“Maybe his name is Dylan.”

He shakes his head. “Nah, I don’t think he really looks like a Dylan.”

He suddenly becomes transfixed by something he sees on top of the chest. There’s a couple of pillows with plastic wrap covering them. One of them, though, he really admires and he remembers looking at it the last time he was here.

It has several clocks all over it, and it says in the corner “Stay Awhile.” He really liked it last time, and he’s surprised that it is still here. He picks it up and examines it.

“It’s amazing… How can something this sweet not be bought?”

“Why don’t you buy it?” Pidge tilts their head. “At least buy _something_. You’ve been looking at all this stuff and not taking any of the bait, Hunk!”

He shrugs. “I dunno… but I think I should buy at least one thing so I can talk to the cashier some more.”

“See?” They grin. “C’mon. Buy it, before someone else does!”

That immediately gets him to start. “No, I don’t want that! They won’t respect it!”

“Let’s go!” Pidge grabs the pillow first and hurries over to the counter.

The friendly cashier gives them another dazzling smile. “Find something?”

“Something that isn’t going to give us nightmares? Yes,” Pidge hums and gives the pillow to him.

Hunk gulps as he blushes. “Yeah. Just this today.”

As he watches him ring it up, he feels a stronger urge to talk to him further. But why doesn’t he? Why does he have this horrific problem with hesitating? It’s getting out of hand, especially since _this_ is the time where he should be able to tell this guy how he feels. And he doesn’t even know his name!

It probably is because of the crowds around him making him feel nervous. That’s all he can conclude right now. It doesn’t make it any less annoying. What if he never had another chance like this again? Well, if it was meant to be, then he’d have his name already, right? That’s what he tried telling the others at the shop. This conclusion is what ultimately falters him.

“It’s $16.03.” The sweet voice breaks the silence.

Hunk fishes through his wallet shyly. “I think I have change.” When he finds a nickel in one of the pockets, he hands it to him, along with the rest of his money.

Pidge shrugs. “Three cents, five cents… they’re practically the same.”

His ears start to burn as he looks away. He hears the cashier laughing, which fires him up even more in the best, most flustered way.

“Eh, close enough,” he chides and gives Hunk his change. “You’re all set.”

“Thanks,” he beams before trying to take his bag. Of course, he completely misses the handle, and it stays on top of the counter. “Oops.” He can’t stop smiling!

He laughs and gives helps him get a better grip on the bag. Just the slightest interaction is all Hunk really needs to satisfy the burning that’s been growing from his heart to every vein in his body. It temporarily extinguishes it, and his face feels a little less hot.

“Thank you, again,” he chuckles.

They share eye contact again, like they’d done earlier. The spark it emits is so calming, and he’s able to walk out of there without a single stumble. He glances back at the shop longingly, as he and Pidge head back to the truck.

“No name again.”

“Dammit,” he grimaces. “Thanks for reminding me.”

“Anytime,” they tease while hopping into the truck. “There’s always next time. I think he likes you!”

“We know nothing about each other,” he shrugs. “I’m not sure about this whole thing, Pidge. Maybe it’s just a tiny crush on an attractive cashier that just comes and goes.”

“Maybe, maybe not. Don’t be so hard on yourself,” they insist while they start their drive home. “Think a little more positively, will ya? Besides, if it really was just a one-time thing, you wouldn’t have agreed to come down here with me. Let’s try again next time. I wanna actually spend money! There was a lot of cool stuff down there.”

He sighs heavily. “You’re really riding me. Okay… I guess we can go down again on Wednesday. Does that sound good?”

“It sounds just lovely!” they cheer with a grin before leaning back. “I’m gonna end up falling asleep. Wake me up when we get home, okay?”

“Sure thing.”

Hunk is left alone with his thoughts while Pidge falls asleep. What if they’re right? But then again, what if they’re wrong? Minor attractions and little crushes happen all the time. Some of them are a little more painful on the heart than others. This whole thing between him and the stranger working at the antique shop could just be one of those things.

He doesn’t like dwelling on the past. Unfortunately, he hasn’t really had the best luck in relationships. His first love recently ended in a puff of smoke with nothing but gravel and ashes left behind. And after that, finding another person was just too exhausting for him. Work and school are far more important to him. They always have been. And while he was too anxious and scared to try and find love again, there may be an opportunity just sitting right there in his lap that he’s refusing to take.

He’s always seen himself as the type of person to lean to fate so heavily on the scale of life. If this thing that he’s feeling for an absolute stranger is genuine, they wouldn’t be strangers anymore. However, maybe he just has to give himself that extra push. He doesn’t want to give up so easily this time around. On one hand, he sees happy endings and going through life with no fear of the future. In the other hand is a looming, black cloud of fear that yanks at his heart, beckoning him closer to bring him back to the shadows.

He shakes the dark hand away and chooses to go with the brightness that shines as golden as a proud lion racing through the Savannah.

_Don’t think. Just do._

He decides that in order to keep himself from retracting in their next encounter, he just has to wing it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://tiff-the-little-wanderer.tumblr.com)   
>  [writing blog](http://flutefluffwrites.tumblr.com)   
>  [twitter](http://twitter.com/wandering_tiff)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunk goes through trial and error until he finally gets to meet the gorgeous mystery cashier outside of the antique shop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while! I always tell myself that if a multichap story reaches more than 2 chapters, that means you're going somewhere! And for this... I'd like to think so! Thank you for reading! Writing this has been so much fun!
> 
> This update's a little short, but I decided to break it up so that Chapter 4 will focus on Hunk and Lance officially learning more about each other.

_Hunk pushes his luck just a_ little bit. Sometimes he has to remember that in order to keep going down to the shops, he’d have to have money. Money that he doesn’t have very much of after paying monthly bills.

But to see the cashier at Country Folk, being flat broke is more than worth it.

He goes alone this time around, and he has one goal in mind: Get his name. This is his mission.

The man on a mission walks around the different areas to see if he finds something that piques his interest. This time around, there’s nothing. After coming down here a certain amount of times, one usually knows what they like and they don’t like down here. It’s a lot more fun coming here in a group, or with someone that has never been here before.

He gives himself an hour or so to prep what he’s going to say to him when he gets in there. He’s hoping that this time there won’t be as many people that make it feel too crowded. Hopefully he has a better chance of getting this guy to notice that hey, he definitely has feelings for him. Why else would he buy a fifteen-dollar pillow?

When he goes down there, he looks around for what he thinks would be the best conversation starter. There has to be something in here that he should get. He sees the cashier rearranging things on the other side of the counter, and he is floored. Just the way that this man moves brings about this urge to fall to his knees. How can a human being be this gorgeous?

He decides on what he wants to get, and he knows that it’s going to be perfect. The bottle opener from when he went down here with Pidge is still in stock. He picks it right up and brings it over.

“All set?” the man beams.

“Indeed, I am.” He looks into his wallet, and he finds that what should have been an easy amount of cash to give him turns out to be difficult. He remembers using his only single, which was all he’d needed for an even total.

He takes out a five-dollar bill along with a ten, and he looks at the cashier in utter dismay.

He tilts his head just so. “Is something wrong?”

“As a matter of fact, there is,” he sighs. “I’m sorry. I used my only single on quarters.”

It takes him a second to register, but then he lets out this soft chuckle that makes Hunk blush. “That’s okay. You can just throw the quarters at me.”

He falters. “…I used all the quarters.”

Then he starts to laugh more. “Well, you can throw anything at me, really.”

Hunk gasps and starts to grow a bit flustered as he rubs the back of his neck. “I…”

“I’ll even dance for it, if I have to!”

“Oh, really?”

He tenses up. Why did he say that?! Oh god, this guy is going to think that he’s weird! He can see it now: he’ll be banned from returning to Country Folk and be left wondering what the hell he was supposed to do with his free time now! It’s coming.

But instead, the cashier looks flustered himself, and he’s still chuckling. “No. No, not really.”

Hunk sputters. “O-okay, anyways, here’s fifteen dollars!”

“Well, okay,” he grins and looks at him. He gives Hunk eye contact the whole time, and it makes him gulps aloud. Even as he hands him the bag, he still has the grin on his face. “By the way, I remember you and your friend coming down here and looking at this very bottle opener not too long ago. And I gotta tell you, at this rate, it seems like you’re coming down here for more than just the antiques.”

Hunk laughs nervously. “You caught me. I’ve got an idea in my head that maybe it’s fate?”

He quirks a brow. “And here I was, thinking that you had a bigger wad of cash stashed away that no one knows about.”

“I’d be the worst felon in the world, to tell you the truth.”

He smiles at him. “Well, thanks for stopping by. I needed a bit of amusement to my day.”

As Hunk nods and starts to back away, he gives him a wave. “So did I. Have a good one.”

“You too!”

And just like that, he’s wistful and blissfully unaware that he is legitimately going insane. He failed again!

He still didn’t get a name!

“Dammit!”

\--

_“You gotta stop forgetting to ask_ for this guy’s name, Hunk!” Pidge groans as they kick their feet up on the dashboard. “One day, you’re seriously going to hurt yourself. Your brain, I mean.”

“I don’t mean to forget!” he frowns and passes a slow driver on the parkway.

“This time, you’re not! I’m going to make extra sure of that, Mister!” They poke his arm with a loud sniff. “No chickening out of this one!”

“The tough love is impeccable, Pidge,” he sighs. “You brought money with you this time, right?”

“You bet!” They show him their wallet. “I got thirty dollars. Let’s do this!”

They pull into the dirt parking lot again and cross the street. He goes to walk around and distance himself from Country Folk to collect his thoughts, but small hands grip the fabric of his shirt and try to nudge him closer to the shop.

“Not this time, Hunk!” they huff. “You’re going in there first. Let’s get his name and number!”

“Pidge!” he sputters as he humors them and walks in the direction of the store. “I’m not the forward type.”

“Well, I am.”

“Brutal,” he laughs as they walk inside.

As soon as they step in, Hunk’s smile falters. It’s not the hot cashier in here this time. It’s an older man with a huge mustache and an accent.

“Why, hello there! How are you this afternoon?”

Pidge stammers. “Great.”

“Yep.” Hunk laughs nervously.

“My name is Coran. Lemme know if you need help finding anything!”

“We will!”

Pidge is about to turn out the door, but Hunk’s already trying to pretend looking around.

“What are you doing?” they frown.

“I don’t wanna be rude,” he hisses under his breath. “I’m gonna look around in here for a little before leaving. I don’t want this guy to feel like I was only here because of the cute guy.”

“But that _is_ the only reason why you’re in here.”

“He doesn’t need to know that. Don’t break his heart!” he gasps.

Pidge agonizingly helps Hunk “look around” for a solid ten minutes. It’s the most boring ten minutes they’d ever wasted. They have to shamefully tell Coran that they were done looking around and assure him to have a good day regardless, and Hunk can’t help but feel bad for ultimately wasting that man’s time.

He and Pidge walk through the different areas of the village. It seems that Pidge has ideas of what they specifically want to buy, and the trip more or less involves Hunk being dragged to wherever they want to go. It’s a lot of fun.

Pidge still has ten dollars left over and holds their bags as they cross the bridge for the fourth time. “Hey, wanna check out the Underground store?”

He nods happily. “Sure. I wanna see what else I can find in there. It’s one of my favorite shops to go in.”

“Okay, let’s go!”

They happily step into the store. Keith is working there today, and Hunk is just glad that he’s able to see a somewhat familiar face working here today.

“Hi, Keith,” Hunk grins as he greets him. “Remember me?”

“Oh yeah, you’re the big man,” he nods and looks him over. “The one with the Jersey Devil shirt. How’ve you been?”

“Hanging in there,” he admits. “I’m looking forward to getting something new to add to my Weird NJ collection.”

“You’ve come to the right place,” he insists. “Lemme know if you need anything. Who’s your friend?”

“This is Pidge. They’ve been shopping with me all day.”

“Nice to meet you, Pidge. Hope you find what you’re looking for,” Keith insists.

“Thanks,” they smile and look at the different racks of clothes. “Hey Hunk, they’ve got Rocky Horror stuff in here!”

“Yep,” he grins as he finds a poster. “Hey look! It’s the Jersey Devil wanted poster!”

“Get it,” they grin. “I’m gonna find a lanyard for my school ID.”

“Have fun,” Hunk waves as they go off to a back wall.

As he grabs a copy of the poster off the display, he hears the door open.

_“Hey, Mullet!_ How’s the business?”

Hunk’s heart jumps up to his throat, and he quickly looks back to the source of the voice. It’s… it’s _him!_

He hurries to hide near the racks, even though they’re so small that they barely cover his torso let alone his whole body. However, it doesn’t seem like he even notices that he’s there. He can’t help but just watch, and now that he’s right in front of him he feels pretty shy. Why can’t he just… _go_ for it?

Keith disgruntledly shrugs. “It’s been average. Not everyone appreciates underground art.”

“Well, it’s kinda dreary and aggressive. Kinda sorta like… well, you,” he teases.

Even when he interacts in what he assumes is a friendly rival, he comes off as charming!

Pidge eyes Hunk from the other side of the store, quickly gesturing to the cashier with urgency. They mouth the words _“Go talk to him!”_ but Hunk just stands there frozen while the other two men continue their light banter.

“Are you coming in here to buy something, or what?” Keith groans after a bit.

“Well, sure. But if you’re gonna be rude about it,” he smirks as he walks over to the wall.

Hunk swallows thickly and stays where he is, frozen stiff. But he doesn’t stay this way for long. He’s startled as Pidge suddenly tries shoving him closer.

“P-Pidge,” he gasps as he starts to walk forward. He looks back at them, looking positively mortified. “I’m not ready, I’m nervous.”

“Nonsense, you’ve been trying to ask him out for weeks.”

“But I can’t just go up to him and—”

He suddenly bumps into someone in front of him, and he sputters while registering that he just almost accidentally knocked the cashier he liked down to the ground.

“Oh, god!” he gasps and impulsively takes his arm to help keep him propped up. “Are you okay?”

He regains his footing and has a light blush on his face. He briefly looks startled, but he then gives him a teasing grin. “Yeah. Just recovering from almost being pummeled.”

“I’m so sorry.” He panics while putting his poster down. “I’m sorry. If there’s anything wrong, I’ll try and repay for it in any way!”

He laughs and shakes his head. “No, no. It’s okay. You’ve already repaid me enough by spending almost forty dollars on random antique merchandise. How’s that bottle opener, by the way?”

Hunk’s eyes widen. What shocked him the most was that this guy actually _realized_ how many times he showed up to his business! He looks away nervously and clears his throat. “I-I’ve decided to use it as more or less a conversation starter.”

“Yeah?” he grins and picks up the poster Hunk had been carrying. “Here. I don’t want you to forget this.”

“Thanks,” he smiles shyly.

Pidge gawks at them while they’re making this awkward small talk. It’s almost as if they expected them to be much more expressive after seeing each other multiple times. Hunk is just incredibly shy, now.

He starts to back away. “Well, it was nice seeing you outside of the sho—”

“ _Hunk_!”

Pidge elbows his side after muttering his name. He gulps and sputters a bit while trying to regain his train of thought. This is it. This is his one chance without chickening out! He’s got this.

“I-I mean, my name’s Hunk,” he stammers. “In case you’d wanna call me by name next time I come by, it’s Hunk.”

“Hunk?” he smiles and leans against the wall.

“Don’t mess up that display!” Keith gasps from where he’s seated by the counter.

“Oh, hush!” he chuckles while resituating himself. “And for whenever you want to either come by to buy a random accent or pummel me to the ground, I’m Lance.”

_Lance._

He got his name!

“It’s nice to actually… know your name,” he blushes as they give each other a brisk handshake.

“Yes. And same here.” Lance looks him in the eye, and Hunk can’t help but notice that his gaze is lingering. It heats his face up tenfold, but he can’t be bothered to try and hide his bashful expression.

“D-do you wanna come get lunch with us?” Once again, Hunk finds himself losing his impulse control and just saying the first thought that comes into his head. But to his surprise, Lance is actually interested.

“Well, sure,” he nods and looks at Pidge. “I don’t think I got a name from you.”

“It’s Pidge,” they beam. “And you’re not half bad, Lance.”

“Well, I think I’ll take that as a compliment. Thanks, Pidge!” He grins as Hunk starts to buy his new grab.

As he gets his change from Keith, Hunk turns back to look at them again. “So Lance, where do you wanna get lunch?”

“You’re asking me?” He smiles as he shrugs. “To tell you the truth, I really don’t want to eat at any of the restaurants here. I’ve eaten everything here, and I want something different.”

“Huh.” Hunk ponders briefly. “What about that Wawa up the road?”

“That’s not exactly different than what’s served here,” he teases.

“W-well, it’s a change in location, isn’t it?”

That smile on his face doesn’t waver once. “You’ve got a point there.”

“I can stay here, if you want,” Pidge insists. “I’ll let you guys get to know each other and all that jazz while I look at the shops.”

“Hah!” Hunk starts to let out this forced, joking cackle. “Yeah right! If anything happened to you, Matt would have my head. Besides, you’re sixteen.”

“I’m almost an adult!” they pout and move their hands to their hips. “Fine, lemme be the third wheel at your not date. See if I care.”

“It gives you a chance to get some chicken strips.”

Their eyes narrow into a glare. “You know I can’t pass an offer on chicken strips.”

“All the more reason for you to still join us on our little not date.” To add a devastating blow to his retort, he gives them a big smile and winks.

Pidge clicks their tongue. “I’m only going for the chicken strips.”

“It’ll be fun!” Lance grins and starts to lead them out of the shop. “Later, Keith.” As the man in question gives him a small grunt that translates to _“deuces,”_ they gather their things together. “C’mon Pidge, let’s go to Wawa!”

“Hell yeah!” they grin and pump their fist in the air.

“Pidge, language!” Hunk gasps as they get over the threshold of the door and go down the steps.

“But my parents don’t have to know!” they whine as they go into the parking lot. They’d started mumbling under their breath “It’s not like I said ‘fuck.’”

He leaves them alone while they put their bags in the back seat. “I just realized that I didn’t clean my truck since…” He trails off into a stuttered silence before clearing his throat. “My truck’s a mess.”

“That’s fine. So’s my car,” he grins. “I keep making excuses as to why I don’t wanna clean it out.”

“Me too!” he gasps. “My favorite one to use is that it’s not the appropriate weather for it. Just, non-specifically, it’s not the appropriate weather.”

“Even when it’s a gorgeous day outside?”

“Yes!” he laughs.

“Why do we even need to take the truck?” Pidge deadpans. “We could just walk.”

Hunk glances over and chuckles. “But you hate the outdoors.”

They puff their cheeks out a bit. “Saves gas. Also, it may be growing on me a little. It’s cloudy out.”

Lance nods. “Yeah, let’s walk,” he insists. “I think it’ll be fun to loiter in front of Wawa for a few minutes.”

“Sure,” Hunk grins. “I think some more fresh air will do us some good.”

They walk down the street together. While he should be excited that he finally was able to talk to the man that had been on his mind for the past few weeks, Hunk is mostly shocked that he even made it this far. After pining over him, now all of a sudden Lance is more than willing to just… go out to lunch with him?

It’s a lot for him to take in all at once, and he wishes that he was able to prepare for it better. He could have more things to tell him, and even things to ask him about! He can’t stand that he couldn’t think of anything to say during their walk around the corner.

But when Lance looks back at him while waiting for when it was safe to cross the street, and he gives him this smile that is both eager and full of excitement all bundled together, he finally remembers how to breathe. It’s like a breath of fresh air, and it fills him with clarity from the hairs on his head to the tips of his fingers and toes. He just needs to take this in strides and begin with a conversation that involves more than just a silly meet-cute or anxious flirting.

It's time to properly introduce himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://tiff-the-little-wanderer.tumblr.com)   
>  [writing blog [NEW URL]](http://wanderingtiff.tumblr.com)   
>  [twitter](http://twitter.com/wandering_tiff)

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](http://tiff-the-little-wanderer.tumblr.com)   
>  [writing blog](http://flutefluffwrites.tumblr.com)   
>  [twitter](http://twitter.com/wandering_tiff)


End file.
